And so our beloved South African summer is already over as we enter autumn. And if like us, who perhaps a little round the edges after enjoying copious amount of birthday cake, why not burn off those calories at the 2012 Cape Argus Cycle Tour? We probably should as we have more reasons to celebrate, including SAA retaining its 4 star rating for the 10th year in a row!

Destination of the month - Washington

Washington, DC (District of Columbia) with its low-profile skyline, is a city of green parks and open spaces, grand buildings, historic landmarks, marbled monuments and impressive museums, with character-filled neighbourhoods that support a thriving cultural scene with scores of top-notch restaurants, shops and night time entertainment. This thriving cosmopolitan city is an international hub of power and diplomacy, commanding the political centre stage for one of the most powerful nations in the world, and representing all the democratic ideals that the country takes pride in.

After politics, tourism is the capital's main industry. The city plays host to millions of people annually who come to explore famous sights such as the domed US Capitol, the stately White House, Lincoln Memorial and the soaring Washington Monument. The most well-known sights are located along the National Mall, a green park stretching from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac River, and include several memorials to great US presidents of the past, as well as the outstanding museums of the Smithsonian Institute. Almost all major attractions are free. Besides political sights, Washington is also a city of interesting neighbourhoods, each with its own character and culture. The most famous of these is historic Georgetown, with elegant colonial houses, boutiques, fancy restaurants, and a lively nightlife. One of the most colourful neighbourhoods is the bohemian district of Adams-Morgan with an assortment of funky shops and ethnic stores, while the arty suburb of Dupont Circle is an affluent business and residential area, with excellent restaurants, art galleries and shops.

Experience SAA

Our Lounges

In addition to the unsurpassed travelling experience which we offer to our passengers, South African Airways has many lounges across the globe some of which we own while others we have the privilege of sharing with our Star Alliance partners and business partners.

Whether you are between connecting flights or yet to fly with us, as a qualifying passenger you are welcome to visit one of our lounges to relax and refresh in preparation of your trip. Here, our qualifying passengers can catch up on work, unwind in our audio-visual rooms and enjoy a range of complimentary food and beverages. In so doing, we ensure that SAA together with our Business and Star Alliance partners offer you seamless high quality service throughout your travel experience with us.

You are most welcome to use the lounges if you are traveling on SAA or a Star Alliance partner airline and you are a:

Showcasing Africa – Rwanda

It’s a tiny country in central Africa, so dramatically beautiful it’s called "Africa’s Switzerland". Rwanda may be small, but its tourist offering is exceptional. This is where to go, if you think you’ve already "seen it all" in Africa.

Rwanda is completely unexpected. It’s both high altitude and tropical, which makes for an unusual cool yet lush African experience. Actually, Rwanda is intensely green, even in the dry season when the Rwandans claim that its bone dry.

Neatly cultivated lots stretch up hillsides with crops of tea, coffee, sugar and potatoes, and everywhere you look people are busy. They plant in tightly packed terraces to make optimal use of their hilly farmland, and they patiently herd their treasured long-horned cattle to grazing areas. Everybody smiles widely as they go, children wave and click their hips with built in rhythm.

When to go:Warm year-round, Rwanda is just 120 km south of the equator. The hottest months are August and September and the wettest are March to May, and October to December. Dry months of June to October are best for gorilla and chimp trekking. Warm clothing is required for gorilla trekking, as it’s done at high altitude.

Travel tips:

Yellow fever certificate required; actually little malaria due to high altitude, but taking precautions are still advised. Spend a night or two in Kigali to acclimatise to the high altitude before heading into the countryside of Rwanda.

SAA News - SAA retains its impressive Four Star rating!

Following the conclusion of the 2011 Skytrax Audits in November last year, SAA has once again achieved a 4-star rating for the 10th consecutive year. This is a major achievement as only five airlines in the world have a Skytrax 5-star rating.

The Skytrax ratings are based on qualitative-audits conducted by experienced aviation-specialists who use a rigorous methodology. Every aspect of an airline’s front-line quality is evaluated and quantified on both a stand-alone and competitive-performance basis. The ranking is achieved after a detailed product and service standard analysis for each featured airline is received, evaluated and calculated. The star-rating is not connected to customer ratings.

This four-star ranking thus signifies airlines that provide a good standard of product across all travel categories – combined with a high standard of staff service-delivery across on-board and airport environments.

Our Skytrax 4-star rating furthermore exemplifies our efforts of last year being awarded the prestigious Skytrax Best Airline in Africa Award, for the ninth consecutive year and also the Skytrax Service Excellence Africa Award, for the 2nd consecutive year.

Upcoming Events

2012 Cape Argus Cycle Tour

The world's biggest timed cycling event is happening in Cape Town on the 11th March. As always, we help 100's of riders fly down to the event with their bikes. Click here for more info on this convenient service.

Your passage to great prizes and more sizzling offers from Voyager

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Partner of the month

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